The trouble with Colonel Carter
by TheWelcomeStranger
Summary: Wherein Colonel Sheppard gets very confused and Rodney gets a splinter.


**The trouble with Colonel Carter. **Wherein John gets very confused and Rodney gets a splinter. Please review.

**Disclaimer: I don't own any of the Stargate characters, this is purely for my own enjoyment and hopefully others.**

Colonel John Sheppard stood in front of Colonel Samantha Carters' desk to make his report. As he spoke his gaze wandered from her face to the items on her desk and back to her again politely. As Sam looked back to reference something in his written report he absently picked up a small, smooth stone-thing. Turning it over in his hands, still talking, he noticed it had a ridge.

When their eyes met again, he felt a surge of affection and warmth that only... one other person could make him feel. She looked a little confused at his suddenly silent, stunned expression but asked the question she had. "So Rodney is in the infirmary now, with a splinter?" "Yes, I should go visit him now" he quickly responded, looking anywhere but at her. Hurriedly putting down her stone he turned and swiftly walked away.

_What the hell?_ He thought. He had never even thought about her that way before. Not that she wasn't pretty and smart, but, she wasn't his type. She didn't have sparkly green eyes, brown curly hair... _Stop it. It was so painful; watching her save them all, play out over and over again inside my head. Choiceless. I should have been the one...saved you. _

He walked on to the infirmary, his body on autopilot. McKay was fine, of course, and sitting down eating a fruit cup. Dr.Keller rolled her eyes at Rodney and Sheppard gave her a nod. Sitting opposite him, Sheppard let out a breath and looked at the floor. Gathering his confused thoughts, he asked Rodney how he was going. "I got a splinter. It hurt, look, see how red it is? I think I need some disinfectant." As he continued to ramble John relaxed a little. _Maybe there was some way to explain this._

"So, what's up with you? Shouldn't you be ... somewhere?" _Crap_. To avoid answering the question, he asked Rodney the same thing. "Yeah, well, I don't have a particular project to work on, and Zelenka would just be getting in my way." "Right" he responded. "Hmm. Wanna watch Sam spar with Teyla? I tell you, that is hot." Alarmed, Sheppard quickly said "Ah, no I have to do something... for Major Lorne!"

Sam was wondering what had spooked Colonel Sheppard. Maybe it was too soon to be in her office- Weir's office- she had heard the rumours. Geez, she had been in the same position herself. As for visiting Rodney for a splinter... Really. The guy didn't need encouraging. Sighing, she stood and stretched. Soon she was going to meet Teyla for a bantos rod lesson. She idly picked up the stone John had left out of place and put it back where it belonged. She looked up quickly. An idea was forming in her head but wouldn't reveal itself just yet. Maybe some power modifications- that was what she was thinking about before John came in.

Sparring was fun, for the first time in forever. Teyla was going easy, she knew, but she enjoyed the physical activity after sitting at her desk. There were some other sparring pairs and a few spectators. Ronon spotted Rodney sitting back against the wall, legs out, looking smug. "McKay!" He said suddenly and most people turned to look. "Oops, I got to go," he replied, scurrying out before Ronon could drag him into some torture he called "training." Sam shook her head and smiled, facing Teyla again. Teyla gave her a knowing look and stood up from her fighting stance. "Oh, you're kidding. He was just here to watch me?" Shaking her head again, this time to clear those thoughts away, she resumed her own fighting stance.

Teyla watched Samantha Carter's reaction to knowing Rodney was there just to watch her. She wasn't _disgusted_, but exasperated. Then she had truly forgotton about it, to focus on her training. Oh, Rodney.

As they packed up after getting changed, Sam thought about Rodney's supposed feelings. She didn't believe him to be serious at all. If he was a little less egotistical, they could be great friends. Feelings, _feelings_, like she had for... and Orlin, Narim, had for her... _Narim_. Feelings. _His stone!! _Relief flooded her. No wonder he had looked so confused! Poor Colonel Sheppard. What is he thinking right now? This had to be cleared up immediately. Thanking Teyla, she paused to press her forehead against the petite women's. Then she swiftly turned away and headed back to her office, touching her radio.

"Colonel Sheppard, come in." She demanded. "Colonel Carter?" He replied a little too quickly. She could almost see him wince. "Please meet me in my office in five minutes time" she asked.

She reached her office with four minutes to spare. Dumping her gym gear, she sat down heavily in her seat and reached for the kind Tollen's 'stone'. Remembering him, she ran her fingers over the ridge and the warmth swept up her body. The affection and love it conveyed almost brought tears to her eyes.

John found her, eyes closed, holding the stone hidden in her lap. He tapped on the glass and she looked up, waved him in. "Colonel Sheppard," she began. "Please sit down." He looked extremely uncomfortable. She smiled in sympathy. "Did you ever read the mission report of Tollana and her people?" looking still more confused, he replied, eyes shifting, "umm, yes, they were relocated with the Nox, built their own Stargate, and were eventually destroyed by the Goa'uld." Sam nodded, looking down at the stone she was turning over in her fingers, the warmth still tingling. "What those reports didn't relate was my closer encounters with a Tollen," she sighed. "Named Narim." Sheppard looked more confused than ever. "He... had feelings for me that would have made our seeing each other difficult had I related them in my reports." She lifted her eyes and the stone from her lap where he could see it. "This was a gift, so I knew how he felt about me," and the understanding hit him with obvious relief. Sam saw his expression clear and relaxed herself. He cleared his throat. "What happened... he died, didn't he? With the others." He looked at his hands now. She nodded. When he looked into her eyes again he saw the same pain that he was feeling now, smoothed by time, but present. He saw sympathy, and he saw a friend.


End file.
